intersystem bonding bridge

[mjf]

Was working the other day at house I upgraded the service at a few years ago. I happened to look over at the bonding bridge and noticed the phone or cable company had snipped their ground wire at the "bridge" and split bolted it to the GEC. I wish I had taken a picture.

I don't understand why we are required to install IBB's if none of the other "systems" are going to be told to use them. It's not as if it's new, been installing them for 4 or 5 years now (at least).

I hope the POCO rep comes to our next EC association meeting so I an ask them if they have any way of "getting the word out" to the phone/cable/satellite companies.

 

[macmikeman]

Its simple. Somebody invents, then pays off CMP members, then code changes to mandate new invention, then inventor/company making said device gets fat off of profit gained from the extortion. That's why.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

In our area the cable and telephone utilities also will not use the bridge. Not sure why but the split bolt is their go to method.

 

[jumper]

I imagine that it is mostly a case of " That is what we have always done." At least the telco, cable, etc guys are attaching the ground/GEC and not simply driving a separate 4' or 6' rod and only using it. I have seen a lot of that.

 

[kwired]

In our area the cable and telephone utilities also will not use the bridge. Not sure why but the split bolt is their go to method.

Around here satellite TV installers bond to anything they think is grounded. Some phone company installers are not any better.

I have seen many bonding wires landed under either a panelboard cover screw, EMT fitting set screws, NM cable clamp set screws, sill cocks - that don't have continuity to electrical system grounding, air conditioner disconnect enclosures - maybe not the worst choice but they use those saddle type clamps you see used on meter sockets and are often installed in a way that impedes access to the AC disconnect.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I imagine that it is mostly a case of " That is what we have always done." At least the telco, cable, etc guys are attaching the ground/GEC and not simply driving a separate 4' or 6' rod and only using it. I have seen a lot of that.

My understanding is that the workers were told not to use the bridge. This comes from the powers above..

 

[Nutmegger]

In my area the cable and the phone co refuse to use anything but a copper bonding strap wrapped around the service-side Myers hub on the meter can.
When I asked the cable guy "why", he said that in his training they told him that this is "the best grounding method".
I did not get into the grounding vs. bonding with him, but I did say that this is far from the best, in my very humble opinion.
I'd rather see a split bolt to the GEC than the strap..

 

[kwired]

In my area the cable and the phone co refuse to use anything but a copper bonding strap wrapped around the service-side Myers hub on the meter can.
When I asked the cable guy "why", he said that in his training they told him that this is "the best grounding method".
I did not get into the grounding vs. bonding with him, but I did say that this is far from the best, in my very humble opinion.
I'd rather see a split bolt to the GEC than the strap..

Those guys won't know where to connect to around here, most new services will be supplied from underground and will not have such a hub. Some will not even have a meter on the building served. Lots of larger capacity services with CT metering - the metering is done at the transformer - especially if the transformer only serves one customer.

 

[SceneryDriver]

Was working the other day at house I upgraded the service at a few years ago. I happened to look over at the bonding bridge and noticed the phone or cable company had snipped their ground wire at the "bridge" and split bolted it to the GEC. I wish I had taken a picture.

I don't understand why we are required to install IBB's if none of the other "systems" are going to be told to use them. It's not as if it's new, been installing them for 4 or 5 years now (at least).

I hope the POCO rep comes to our next EC association meeting so I an ask them if they have any way of "getting the word out" to the phone/cable/satellite companies.

Crap installation practices like this happen because the installer has little to no training, and absolutely no requirement for licensing. Something similar happened at my parents' house several years ago when they had switched from the local cable company to ATT U-verse.

The "installer" had draped phone and coax cabling tight across the PANEL COVER, grounded his "install" under a sheetmetal screw that was put into the cinderblock wall with a PLASTIC anchor :jawdrop:, and had anchored the ATT backup power supply to the wall with a single screw. It swung back and forth like a pendulum.

The house is wired for Ethernet and the lines terminate in a patch panel in the basement. He cut the Ethernet out of the patch panel :rant: and ScotchLok-ed to the wires to place the modem upstairs. Same thing on the other end of that Ethernet run upstairs. I'm lucky there was enough slack on both ends to re- punch down the run.

When I came home for Thanksgiving that year, it took me half a day to correct the mess that moron had made. My parents were, thankfully, able to backcharge ATT for the cost of the repair materials.

Communications installers often have no more training than a one day "class." They have no technical background, and little understanding of how the equipment they install actually works. I believe there should be a push for a legal requirement that these installers be licensed, and their work inspected, just like electricians' work. Coms and LV wiring are becoming a a bigger and bigger part of homes' systems. They need to be installed with the same rigor as any other trade's work.


SceneryDriver

 

[K8MHZ]

Somewhere in my picture collection I have a pic of a phone grounding conductor connected to a strap on a piece of PVC conduit.

 

[kwired]

Somewhere in my picture collection I have a pic of a phone grounding conductor connected to a strap on a piece of PVC conduit.

That is to help reduce static charge in the PVC conduit

 

[K8MHZ]

That is to help reduce static charge in the PVC conduit

I figured it was something like that.